Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the area of travel pillows, specifically an inflatable or non-inflatable travel pillow that fits under the knees or lower thighs of the user, between those body areas and the cushion off a seat. The pillow elevates the user""s lower thighs sufficiently to position the user""s body back into the seat comfortably.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various leg pillows are disclosed in the prior art, but none can be effectively used while the user is in a seated position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,745,939 to Flick et al. and 6,012,187 to Bushong et al. disclose leg pillows for use only in a prone position. These pillows are positioned beneath a person""s calves and feet while the user is lying down, and serve to support a person""s lower legs while, for example, he or she is being turned in a hospital bed.
An inflatable orthopedic pillow which fits beneath a patient""s lower leg is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,979 to Jackson, wherein the lower leg can be elevated to reduce swelling due to circulatory edema. In this device, the pillow suspends the heel and ankle of a patient""s foot in mid-air. Like the foregoing devices, this device is also used by a patient lying in a supine position.
Leg pillows which fit between a user""s thighs are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,216,771 to Hoff and 6,182,314 to Frydman. These pillows exhibit a generally xe2x80x9chourglassxe2x80x9d shape for engaging the inner thighs of a user lying on his or her side while sleeping.
Leg pillows that fit under the knee are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,910,818 to Grabill et al., 5,418,991 to Shiflen, and 5,497,520 to Kunz et al. All three of these devices, however, are used by a patient in a supine, lying-down position, and all three also extend under the calf below the knee, in addition to extending under the knee itself and the thigh just above the knee. As such, these devices are neither capable of, nor suitable for, fitting beneath the lower thighs of a seated person.
Thus it can be seen that there is a great need for a travel pillow that fits beneath the user""s knees and lower thighs, in order to elevate the lower thighs and position the user back comfortably in the seat of an airplane, train, bus, automobile, or other conveyance.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are:
It elevates the lower thighs, thus positioning the user back firmly in his or her seat, so that the user does not tend to slide down in the seat, as usually happens.
It relieves pressure on the legs, allowing a long-distance traveler like an airline passenger on an overseas flight to remain comfortably in his or her seat for long periods of time.
In its inflatable embodiment, the pillow takes up a very small amount of space when stowed away, yet can be quickly and easily inflated to its full size and shape. The inflatable embodiment can also xe2x80x9cadjustxe2x80x9d to fit seats of different widths.
The height of main body 10, between the top and bottom surfaces at the sides, is greater than the length of the main body between the front and back surfaces. In addition, the width of main body 10 between the sides is significantly greater than the height of the main body between the top and bottom surfaces at the sides.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
This invention is an inflatable or non-inflatable travel pillow that fits under the knees or lower thighs of the user, between those body areas and the cushion of a seat. The pillow elevates the user""s lower thighs sufficiently to position the user""s body back into the seat comfortably.